


Care

by wolfraven80



Category: Little Witch Academia
Genre: F/F, Mystery, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-17
Updated: 2017-12-17
Packaged: 2019-02-15 21:59:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 19,124
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13040289
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wolfraven80/pseuds/wolfraven80
Summary: When a letter arrives informing Diana that a mysterious ailment has afflicted her aunt and cousin, Diana has no choice but to return home. Naturally, she forbids Akko from following after her. But when has Akko ever listened to reason?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Amazing_E_ko](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amazing_E_ko/gifts).



> You said you'd have some extra time to read. Hopefully that's still the case as this story turned out just a _tad_ longer than I expected. I hope it hits on some of the things you mentioned in your letter and that you enjoy it. Happy Yuletide!

  **One**

 

 

 

_"The cupid bee, though often thought of as a form of sentient magic, is in fact properly categorized as volitional magic. The "bee" is merely a vessel for the spell, an artificial construct with no instinct or will of its own. Its behaviour is determined by the intent of the spell caster."_  
 

            Diana scowled at the book as she read through passage after passage that dissected the enchantment and broke it down to its base elements in excruciating academic detail. And while normally she'd have considered it fascinating–or informative at the very least–this evening she found herself impatient, skimming rather than absorbing. She had an important question that required an answer.

            "Whatcha reading?"

            Akko didn't just ask; she pounced. One moment Diana was sitting alone in the library with her book, the next, Akko was leaning over her, hands on Diana's shoulders, her face close against Diana's cheek. Diana's breath caught. Her pulse stuttered. Her palms broke out in a sheen of sweat.

            It was moments just like this that had made her situation abundantly clear to her.

            The first time had been on an ordinary weekend when she'd gone to town to run an errand. Rain had been in the forecast so she'd been prepared when, upon stepping out one of the shops, the first raindrops had begun to tumble from the sky. Safe under the cover of a large blue umbrella she'd glanced across the street only to see Akko. The poor girl was peering up and down the street searching for the nearest place to take cover. She had no umbrella. Of course.

            "Akko!" she called out, and waved for Akko to come over. Akko beamed, her lips parting into that huge grin of hers.

            Already damp, Akko scampered across the street and ducked under the wide arc of Diana's umbrella. "Diana! Thank you! Your timing couldn't be more perfect." In spite of being wet she was smiling, her eyes shining with glee.

            "You didn't check the forecast before you left?"

            "It was sunny!"

            Diana sighed and bit back a comment about how the weather was as changeable as Akko herself. But that would be unkind and not quite fair. "You should try to be more prepared."

            The rain came down harder, pattering against the umbrella at a faster tempo. Akko squeezed in closer to get as much of herself as possible under cover and then shrugged, still grinning. "Why, when I have you to back me up?"

            "You can't expect me to always..." The rest of that sentence died on her lips. What she was trying to say was true: she couldn't always be there to get Akko out of trouble. But... she rather wished she could.

            "I know, I know," Akko muttered, her smile turning into a pout.

            "I still have some errands to run," Diana said. "And we should find you an umbrella."

            Akko nodded and as they set off together, she linked her arm through Diana's and huddled close to avoid the rain. Diana was well aware that Akko was as effusive and affectionate as she herself was reserved and rigid, but the gesture still caught her off guard. She glanced over at her.

            A string of raindrops had settled on the collar of Akko's jacket like translucent pearls. Diana's eyes lingered there for a moment before sliding up the line of Akko's throat, along her jaw, to the soft curve of her lips. Diana licked her own lips and abruptly returned her gaze to the street ahead. The scent of fruity shampoo wafted from Akko's wet hair and her body was a little bundle of heat against Diana's side.

            And just like that, in the middle of town on a rainy day, Diana felt like she was drowning in Akko.

            Diana stifled a groan. She knew exactly what this was. Rapid breathing. Rapid heart rate. Increased swallowing. That sudden nervous fluttery feeling that had no outward cause. These were the hallmarks of attraction. To come to this realization while walking arm in arm with someone under an umbrella was simply embarrassing. It was the stuff of pop songs and rom-coms!

            That was how she'd come to revisit the incident with the cupid bee, itself a popular staple of soap operas and romance novels. In fact she'd heard that cupid bees figured in the _Night Fall_ series in no less than twenty-seven of its 365 volumes. The effects of the bee's sting were supposed to be temporary. Diana had made it her mission to confirm that this was indeed the case. Because even now, in the library, with Akko's cheek close to hers, and Akko's slim, clumsy fingers resting on her shoulders, she certainly felt those symptoms all over again.

            "Volitional magic?" Akko said, her eyes on the book.

            Diana shut it and cleared her throat. "Some extra research for History of Magic. Did you need something?"

            "I was wondering if you had to time to help me with a spell."

            Smiling, Diana nodded. "Of course." It was gratifying that Akko was willing to ask for her help these days instead of going on about that rival nonsense as she once had. They'd wielded the power of the Grand Triskellion together after all. They could accomplish amazing feats when their abilities were channelled together rather than being constantly at odds with one another.

            Akko's face lit up. "Yes! Thank you, Diana. Now come on!"

            "Wait, Akko–what–"

            But Akko had snagged her by the wrist and was dragging her out of the library without pausing to answer.

 

#

 

            A cool evening breeze whispered through the long grasses at the edge of the campus and tousled Diana's hair. Next to her, Akko was staring ahead with a look of fierce determination. "All right," Diana said, crossing her arms and peering at her friend incredulously, "now that we're here are you finally going to tell me precisely what you need assistance with?"

            "I'll show you." Akko drew her wand and pointed it at the field stretching out before them. " _Planntrais Deance_!" The grass swirled and flickered and shifted for a moment, the lush green colour fading. Diana blinked... and when she looked again she was staring out at a vast desert of white sand.

            She glanced at Akko and was puzzled to find her scowling at the sand and grinding her teeth. "The spell appears to have worked as expected."

            Akko shook her head. "No, Diana, you don't _understand_ ," she wailed. She looked on the verge of yet another teary meltdown. "It was _supposed_ to be snow."

            "Ah."

            "See?" She gesticulated furiously with her wand like a mad orchestra conductor. "I keep practicing but I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong."

            Diana looked out over the field of sand and considered the matter. This spell was more spread out than the type Akko was used to casting. Akko's experience so far was with localized magic such as transformation spells or repair magic. Those required a tight focus on a single object. What she was attempting here was broader in scope, more like the illusions Chariot used to perform at her shows because they required the application of power over a wider area.

            "I suspect the issue is that as you're pushing the spell outward it is thinning and losing focus. By the time it manifests, it's lost the clarity of focus required to complete the intended transformation. It becomes... blurry I suppose you could say." Akko sighed. Diana offered her an encouraging smile. "When you practice try to focus harder. Keep the image of what you're trying to create fixed in your mind even as you cast the spell."

            Akko's face scrunched up and a drawn-out groan poured out of her. "I was hoping it was something simple. Like I was pronouncing the spell wrong and then I could fix it right away and get it to work _now_."

            "Why in the world do you need to make snow at this very moment?"

            Akko's mouth opened but for a moment nothing came out. She looked at Diana and then quickly turned back to the sand and spoke the word to undo the spell. A flicker of magic and the field returned to its natural state. At least she'd mastered that part. "Well... You see..." Akko wasn't looking at her. Instead, her eyes dropped to her wand as she kept fidgeting with it. "It's not really snow I'm trying to make."

            "What then?"

            "I was hoping I'd be able to show you but..." She sighed. "I guess I'll have to practice more."

            The downcast look on Akko's face tugged at Diana's heartstrings. She truly wished she could help her, that she could make magic natural to Akko the way it was for most of the students here, but Diana knew firsthand that practice and perseverance were the only method of restoring the magical ability that had been lost to them both.

            On impulse, she reached out and squeezed Akko's shoulder.

            Akko's expression cheered immediately. "Maybe I should just show you anyway even if it's not perfect yet." Eyes bright with determination, Akko drew herself up and raised her wand again. " _Planntrais_ –"

            "Diana!"

            They both looked up as the caller swooped down out of the sky and stopped her broom on a dime right in front of them. Normally, Diana would have chided Amanda for her showy flying but something in Amanda's expression stopped her. She looked serious–a rare and rather alarming thing for Amanda O'Neill. "There you are." Her eyes fixed on Diana. "Everyone's looking for you."

            Diana stiffened. "Why? What's wrong?"

            Amanda shrugged. "I don't know. Just that there's a message for you from home."

 

#

 

            When Diana emerged from Mistress Holbrooke's office, the letter still clutched in her hand, Akko was waiting outside the door.

            "Diana! Are you all right? You're as pale as a unicorn."

            "I'm fine," she murmured, just as she had when the headmistress had asked. The letter was not good news.

            "Liar," Akko snarled. Diana glared at her. It was just like Akko to be vexing when she needed a minute to think, to come up with a plan of action. "Why can't you just tell me?"

            Diana shook her head. "A family emergency. I need to go home."

            Like always, Diana was caught off guard when Akko surged towards her and took both her hands, squeezing tightly. "Just tell me what's wrong. Maybe I can help."

            Diana looked away, unable to bear the worry in Akko's expression, those big brown eyes of hers. "There's nothing to be done. I need to go."

            "I could come with you."

            "No! Out of the question." Akko flinched and looked momentarily like a kicked puppy. Diana knew her reply had been too sharp but the thought of Akko coming along turned her insides to ice. If what her cousin had written was accurate then it would be dangerous for anyone to come to the estate. No, Akko had to stay at Luna Nova where she would be safe, where at least Diana knew she wouldn't have to worry for her. Akko would be safe; that at least would be a comfort in all this.

            "But, Diana–"

            "It would be dangerous for you to involve yourself." She tore herself away from Akko. She needed to get to her room, pack a bag, and get home as soon as possible.

            "Diana..."

            She paused but didn't turn back. "I'll come back to Luna Nova when I can."

            _If I can._


	2. Chapter 2

**Two**

 

            Anna was waiting for her in the entrance hall when Diana walked through the front door. Her smile soothed Diana's nerves, at least a little. "Welcome home, milady."

            "It's good to see you, Anna. I only wish it were under happier circumstances." She set down her broom and bag and let out a long sigh. A weight had settled on her the moment she'd set foot in the old manor, like a sodden mantle draped over her shoulders. She felt it always when she returned home. The lightness she experienced at Luna Nova, the freedom to be only a student, to be responsible only for herself, was a boon that she missed very much when she returned here.

            She drew herself up. Best get a handle on the situation right away. "How are Aunt Daryl and Merrill? Maril sounded frantic in her letter."

            Anna's features were drawn but she didn't look alarmed at least. "I don't believe they're in any immediate danger. But they're weak as kittens." Diana had to suppress a smile as she thought of how much her aunt would detest that description. Aunt Daryl did not believe in showing weakness under any circumstance.

            "And their magic?"

            Anna shook her head. "There's been no change. Neither one can cast even a simple spell."

            According to her cousin's letter, Merrill had been affected first. All of a sudden she'd just stopped being able to use magic. And then within a matter of hours she'd become so weak she'd been confined to bed. The family doctor and the medical witch both had been unable to find any cause. And then Aunt Daryl had been similarly overcome.

            "And no one else has been affected?"

            "No." Anna sighed and hung her head. "I tried to dissuade Maril from sending for you. If anything should happen to you–"

            "I may not be head of the household yet, but this family is my responsibility. It's right that I should be here. If it's something transmissible or some sort of curse on the family then we need to determine the cause as quickly as possible."

            "Milady..."

            The tread of footfalls from the landing above drew their attention. Maril, looking pale and haggard, hovered at the top of the grand stairway. Her expression melted into relief as she spotted Diana. "Diana!" she called as she hurried down the stairway. "I'm so glad you came."

            _I suppose there's a first time for everything._ She bit her tongue before she could be tempted to speak the thought aloud.

            But she was glad she did, for as Maril drew closer, there was none of her usual spitefulness and it was obvious that her eyes were wet with tears. "I didn't know what else to do when mother got sick."

            Diana gave a firm nod that suggested more assurance than she really felt. "We'll get to the bottom of this."

            "Thank you, Dian– _aaaaa_!" Shrieking, Maril pointed a shaking finger in the general vicinity of Diana's side. "What is that?"

            Brow furrowed, Diana glanced around in an attempt to locate the source of her cousin's distress. "Whatever do you mean?"

            "Your pocket. There's something moving in it."

            Foreboding skittered down Diana's spine as she reached into her pocket and her hand brushed against something furry and moving. "Seriously?" Her fingers closed around a leathery tail and she extracted from her pocket a squirming brown mouse. A very familiar brown mouse.

            With an audible _poof_ , the mouse transformed into Atsuko Kagari, draped in her uniform and cloak, with a travel back slung over her shoulder.

            "You!" Maril exclaimed at the same time as Anna came out with, "Miss Kagari!".

            Too furious to speak, Diana's lips thinned to a line. Akko was wearing a guilty grin as if she'd been caught doing nothing worse than sneaking a pie from the kitchen again. Diana glowered at her, giving her the most chilling, disapproving look she could. Because this was much worse than her usual disobedience and rule-breaking. It was dangerous. Stupid. It was... utterly Akko.

            _I should have expected this. I should taken measures..._ Perhaps she could have convinced Lotte and Sucy to keep Akko locked up. Or she could have used a sleeping draught on her. Or any number of things that probably wouldn't have kept Akko away for very long. She was too stubborn, too reckless for her own good even now.

            Akko crossed her arms over her chest and stared right back at her. "Don't look at me like that, Diana."

            A huff of frustration escaped her. "Your recklessness truly knows no bounds. I _told_ you it would be dangerous to involve yourself."

            Akko met her scowl for scowl, leaning in to snarl, "I don't care about that."

            Hands on her hips, Diana returned Akko's look of determination with her own look of disapproval. "You heard everything, didn't you? Do you understand the gravity of what's happened here? If there's any chance that whatever has afflicted my aunt and cousin is transmissible, then it means we're all at risk of losing our magic."

            "Then we should work together to fix whatever's causing it." Akko's expression softened. "You always think you have to do everything alone. But you don't." She pressed her hand to her heart. "You have us now. Me and everyone at Luna Nova."

            She couldn't meet Akko's eyes. Her hands balled into fists at her sides as she struggled to keep herself in check. After several deep breaths she managed a reply. "Don't you see, Akko? If anything should happen to you–if you were to lose your magic again... It would be my fault."

            Akko shook her head. "No it wouldn't." She said it with that typical bull-headed determination. As if she knew best when, usually, she knew nothing at all.

            Sighing, Diana closed her eyes. Weariness was rapidly overtaking her. If nothing else, Akko could always exhaust people with sheer stubbornness. "Akko–"

            "It's not your fault. Because I wanted to be here." She stepped closer and Diana found herself staring into those fierce brown eyes. "I want to be by your side, Diana. No matter what."

            Diana's breath caught in her throat. Words evaporated. For what felt likes eons, she just stood there, dumbfounded. Finally, Anna cleared her throat. "The young miss is already here. And since it would be unwise to send her back to Luna Nova until we know the cause of Lady Daryl's illness, I suppose we'll have to prepare a room for her."

            "Yes," Diana said quickly, trying to steady herself. But her heart was racing. How Akko could be so vexing one moment and so endearing the next was a greater mystery than the Grand Triskellion had been. "You're right, Anna. Please see to it."

            When Diana glanced in her cousin's direction, Maril was inspecting Akko as she might a stray dog suspected of having fleas. Diana cleared her throat, drawing Maril's attention away from Akko. "I'd like to see them now please."

            Worry played across Maril's face. She only nodded and moved back to the stairway.

            "Diana–" She didn't let Akko get further than that.

            "You can come if wish to." And then, heaving a sigh, "It's not as if I can prevent you from having your way, it seems."

            And without looking to see if Akko would follow, she headed up the stairs to her family's rooms.

 

#

 

            Diana's eyes swept over her aunt's bedroom, noting that none of the heirlooms in _her_ chambers had been sold off. Taking a deep breath, she counted back from ten–in Lunar Runes–and strode to the four posted bed festooned with gold and emerald drapings. Maril had opted to stay with her sister for the time being but Akko hovered in the doorway, looking concerned.

            A padded chair had been placed near the bed. Diana drew up the chair and sat. Her aunt, always an imperious figure in Diana's memory, now appeared pale and fragile, like a paper doll. "Aunt Daryl?"

            Aunt Daryl's eyelids slowly rose. There were dark bags beneath her blue eyes as if she'd not slept for days, even though she'd done nothing but rest. "Diana. You came." Her eyes flitted over Diana's shoulder to where Akko waited with uncharacteristic patience. "I see you brought that waif with you again."

            "She's not a waif." She knew she sounded every bit as indignant as she felt, but honestly–could her aunt not even be civil when they were here to help? "Akko unlocked the power of the Grand Triskellion. That's more than any witch has done in centuries."

            Aunt Daryl sniffed. "I saw the broadcast. I'm certain you did most of the work. You are a Cavendish after all."

            "I assure you that was not–"

            "More importantly.... How is Merrill?"

            "Sleeping."

            She gave a slight nod. "Diana..." Her voice was reedy, as if only a few sentences had already taken up most of her strength. "We may disagree on a great many important matters, but we _are_ family. So I am asking you, please do all you can for my daughter."

            "Of course I will." Diana had to tamp down on her irritation. Buried in that request was the implication that she might refuse to help simply out of spite. It was infuriating! Really, how could Aunt Daryl even consider such a thing? She wondered sometimes how her mother and aunt had turned into such different people, one full of kindness and compassion, the other as full of venom as her serpents. "You have no idea what's causing this?"

            "No." Her voice was growing hoarse, each word softer than the one before it. "I tried every trick I know. You'll have to try some that I don't." Her eyes slid closed and her breaths grew long and quiet.

            Diana rose and turned to find Akko watching her, her concern palpable. She had to look away–it was too much. Torn between worry, gratitude, and annoyance, Diana couldn't settle on what to say.

            "What now?" Akko asked.

            Sighing, Diana shut her eyes for a moment and tried to clear her thoughts. A plan was what she needed, a way forward. "If Aunt Daryl could not pinpoint the cause then it must be something obscure. I'll need to do some research."

            "Research?" Akko echoed dully.

            Diana raised an eyebrow. "You're the one who insisted on being here."

            Akko's face bunched up into a pout. "How long are you going to stay mad at me?"

            "Until you stop being unreasonable."

            "As if that's ever going to happen."

            And since there was no disagreeing with that statement, Diana sighed and turned her attention to the travel bag still slung over Akko's shoulder. "At least you brought a change of clothes this time." She beckoned for Akko to follow and led her to one of the guest rooms down the hall from the family quarters. It was a neat, plain room and Anna had prepared it with fresh linens. Akko sat on the bed and bounced experimentally. "Please ask Anna if there's anything else you need."

            She turned to leave but Akko snagged her wrist. "Diana, wait."

            She did.

            Diana was fairly certain that Akko was the only person at Luna Nova who would dare grab her arm. The Cavendish name lent her a certain gravitas that her academic success only heightened. People treated her with respect. With distance. Even Hannah and Barbara were not in the habit of being so familiar with her. But Akko? Akko had no boundaries, no reserve. And Akko certainly wasn't afraid to touch her.

            Her whole body sagging, Diana dropped onto the edge of the bed next to Akko, whose mouth was turned down in a pout. "Don't be mad."

            Diana folded her hands in her lap and kept her eyes on them as she spoke. "I don't know what's happening here or what I can do about it. And–" Her chest hitched. She had to take a deep breath before she could go on. "And I couldn't bear it if something happened to you."

            Akko's small, warm hands wrapped themselves around one of Diana's, encasing Diana's fingers in heat. "It'll be okay, Diana. We'll figure this out. I know we will."

            Rapping at the open door drew her attention. "Anna? What is it?"

            "I'm sorry, milady, but there's someone here to see you."

            Diana's brow furrowed. "At this hour?"

            Anna nodded. "I think perhaps you should see for yourself."

            When she returned to the main entrance, Akko trailing behind her, Diana was greeted by an unusual tableau. A woman sleeping in a chair in the centre of the room–no... a wheelchair. Her head lolled forward. A faint wheezing noise escaped her nose with each exhalation. Behind the chair stood a man with silver-white hair and mustache. He sported a dark suit with a plum bow-tie. He removed his spectacles before mopping his deeply lined face with a handkerchief.

            She was grateful for the long, curving stairway as it gave her a minute to gather her thoughts and recall the gentleman. She had not seen him in years, so it took her a moment to place him. Lord Corlett. He had not aged well. The sleeping woman was his wife, Lady Julia Corlett, a witch and former minister.

            Diana had only just stepped off the bottom step and was about to greet him, when Lord Corlett rushed forward. "Miss Cavendish, please, your family has always excelled at the healing arts. You must help us."

            "I will do whatever I'm able to, Lord Corlett," Diana said, keeping her voice steady and trying to appear unperturbed. "But please, tell me what's wrong."

            "It's my wife–something has happened to her magic."


	3. Chapter 3

**Three**

 

            Diana had heard that the lead vampire in the Nightfall series liked to watch his beloved sleep. She was not sure why. Akko in repose was certainly not the picture of grace and beauty. She'd dozed off right at the table with her head propped up on her fist, smushing the side of her face and making her vaguely resemble a sleepy pug. She also appeared to be drooling slightly.

            With a shake of her head, Diana returned her attention to the bluish concoction bubbling in a cast-iron pot on the table. She stirred it three times counterclockwise and added a pinch of wormwood.

            That morning, Diana had risen early and set herself up in one of the workrooms. Book cases filled with reference material lined one wall, while another housed shelves stocked with common ingredients for potions. A hearth looked over the far side of the room, available for traditional cauldron-based work.

            The room would have been gloomy had it not been for the large window opposite the door. Sunlight poured into the workroom, much as it always did in her memories, when, long ago, she'd sat here with her mother, learning the names of all the ingredients as other children might learn to make chocolate-chip cookies. If Diana looked up and tilted her head a little, she could even get a view of the horse pasture where her chestnut mare was grazing.

            The concoction bubbled once, belching an astringent steam. Next to her, Akko's nose wrinkled and snuffled for a moment. But she did not wake up.

            Akko had wandered into the room a full hour after Diana, and announced that it looked like one of the classrooms at Luna Nova. Perhaps that was what gave the room its sedative effect because she'd promptly sat down and fallen right back asleep.

            When the door swung open, Diana didn't bother to look up; Anna would have knocked.

            "I can see your stowaway's going to be so much help."

            Maril's voice was enough to rouse Akko, who shot up in her seat, eyes wide. "The Witch Trials of 1123. No–1232? No, umm–" And then, realizing she was not, in fact, in class, slouched and glowered at Maril.

            With a sigh, Diana stirred the potion three times clockwise. "Good morning, Maril. I assume you didn't come here just to antagonize Akko."

            Maril remained in the doorway, wringing her hands. "Have you found anything yet?"

            Diana took a deep breath and reminded herself that Maril was worried about her sister and her mother. "I'm afraid it will take more than a few hours of work to sort this out. But there is something you can do."

            "Really?" The eagerness in her Maril's voice was impossible to miss.

            Diana nodded. "Please use your contacts in the other families. Find out if they say anyone has gone on an trip all of a sudden or hasn't been attending social events recently. I suspect Lady Corlett won't be the only case outside of our family."

            Maril nodded slowly. "I understand. I'll see what sort of gossip I dig up."

            Akko waited until Maril had left before she spoke. "I don't get it. Why do you need gossip? Can't you just _ask_ the other witch families if anyone else is sick?"

            Her first instinct was to tell Akko that she wouldn't understand. A year ago she would've done exactly that. Instead, she set down the stirring spoon and turned to Akko. "There is a... stigma associated with the loss of magic in a witch. At one time in our history is was considered a divine punishment, regardless of the cause."

            "Did they say stuff like that about you when you were little?"

            Diana peered into the cast-iron pot. "I suppose they did."

            "That's so unfair! You were just a little kid."

            "It hardly matters." She'd overcome all of that. People had almost forgotten her late start; they remembered her now as a prodigy, a star pupil, as one of the young witches who'd stopped the missile.

            "But–"

            "Did you learn anything from that book?" She pointed to the book lying open on the table in front of Akko, though she was quite certain Akko had dozed off before reading more than a few lines.

            Akko groaned. "I'm no good at all this research."

            Diana sighed and inspected the potion again. It was thickening nicely. "Well then you should have stayed at Luna Nova where at least you could've gotten you schoolwork done. You'll be lucky if they don't expel you."

            At this, Akko shot up, one fist punching the air. "Ha! After I saved the world from an evil missile and helped revive magic? They're not going to expel me after that."

            Diana gave her a sharp look; she was practically preening. "Perhaps they won't expel you, but they'll have you scrubbing of Professor Lukic's cauldrons by hand until you wish they would."

            As Akko considered this, her expression turned from pride to pout. But after a few seconds she shook it off, squaring her shoulders and nodding vigorously. "Whatever they want to do to me, I can take it."

            "But–"

            She looked right at Diana. "You're worth more than any of that."

            Diana knew Akko had always been prone to grandiosity, always boasting about the things she would do–win the broom race, be named the Moonlit Witch, become like Chariot–so these sorts of bold pronouncements about her feelings should have been expected. Yet Diana still found herself at a loss for words, her heart racing, her mouth dry.

            The smile on Akko's lips, her huge brown eyes, bright with determination, her cheeks flushed–all of these things were typical Akko... and all of them made Diana want to close the distance between them and trail her fingers along Akko's skin.

            Diana nearly jumped out of her skin when the potion she'd been working on gave an almighty belched and spewed forth a small mushroom cloud of yellow smoke. Akko's nose wrinkled. She leaned forward to stare into the pot and pinched her nostrils closed. "Is it supposed to smell like that?"

            Diana nodded. "I'm afraid so."

            "What's it for?" Akko asked, sounding duck-like as she continued to hold her nose.

            "It will allow me to eliminate a number of toxins as the cause of the condition." Diana winced as she got a nose-full of the sharp scent. "It needs to steep for a while longer. We should probably move to another room for a while."

            Akko vaulted out of her chair as if she'd been sitting on a spring. "All right! You can give me a tour!"

            "A... Pardon?"

            "Your house. It's the second time I've been here and I've barely seen any of it. You can show me all the cool parts. Does it have lots of secret passages? Are there trap doors? Is it haunted?" Diana was still trying to think of a proper objection, but Akko linked her arm through Diana's and began marching her towards the door. "Come on! I want to see all the cool parts."

            And Diana allowed herself to be swept away.

 

#

 

            As she walked with Akko through the hallways and high-ceilinged rooms of her home, Diana was constantly surprised by the things that caught Akko's eye. She would pause to gape at an ornamental wand mounted on a wall, or pause to inspect the dragon scales on the mantle. She had to remind herself that Akko was not from a witch family and it was natural for her to be surprised and curious.

            She snatched Akko's wrist an instant before her fingers could reach the astrolabe. "Don't touch that. Please."

            "What is it?"

            "A three-hundred-year-old astrolabe. It would really be better if you didn't touch it."

            Akko pouted. "Oh fine."

            She also had to continually keep her away from anything fragile or valuable.

            "You've already seen my room, the kitchen, the dining room. I'm not really certain what more you want me to show you."

            "But your place is huge. There must be a bunch more rooms."

            Diana sighed. "We no longer use the south wing. With the reduced staff it was too much to maintain. And," she added quietly, "too costly." Akko was looking at her with something she suspected was pity and Diana could feel herself bristling. Her spine stiffened and she had to take a deep breath to prevent herself from saying something cross. "Perhaps we should take a stroll through it, though. I should make sure everything is in order."

            The moment they pushed open the doors to the south wing, a wave of sorrow washed over Diana. She drew in a breath of stale air, heavy with dust. Bare spots along the wall showed where paintings had been removed and placed in storage to protect them. White sheets, now greyish, draped furniture like a pall.

            "It's so _creepy_ ," Akko announced, drawing out the word "creepy" with obvious relish.

            "When I was younger it was very different. This is the part of the house where we entertained large groups of guests. My mother would often host soirees for charitable causes."

            Akko advanced into the hallway, her footsteps echoing like thunderclaps. When she turned back to Diana she had a huge smile on her face. "When you graduate from Luna Nova you should do that too. I know you're going to do amazing, Diana, and you'll be able to make this place beautiful again."

            A smile made its way to Diana's lips. "I hope so."

            Without pausing to ask for permission, Akko pushed open the nearest set of doors. Diana followed, pausing in the doorway, noting the grey coating of dust on the oak floors and the cobwebs draped like frost across the branches of the chandeliers. It was a long room, the back wall covered in ceiling-high windows, though the sunlight could now barely penetrate the thick patina on the glass. "The ballroom," Diana said before Akko could ask.

            Akko's eyes were wide, her mouth hanging open as she stared up at the vaulted ceiling. As she moved into the middle of the room, she left footprints in the dust. "So cool! Like something out of a movie. Did they really have parties here?"

            "Yes. From time to time. The next rooms are the billiard room and the smoke room."

            Akko grimaced. "Smoke room? What for?"

            Diana's lips quirked. "So that all the husbands who came along would have something to do while the witches discussed arcane magical matters." That earned an eyeroll from Akko. "I suppose it was easier for the witches who were married to other witches."

            "Does that... you know... happen a lot?" Akko's eyes were now fixed with great determination on one of the chandeliers. Her cheeks might have been taking on a pinkish tinge, but it was hard to tell in the grey light.

            "I don't know if I'd say 'a lot', but it has long been a part of our culture." Again, Diana was reminded of how much Akko truly was an outsider–to this country, to Luna Nova, to the long history of witches and magic. It was unsettling to think that Akko might feel uncomfortable with something that seemed completely natural to Diana... that her _feelings_ might make Akko uncomfortable.

            She could feel her own face flushing suddenly, her shoulders aching with tension. If she'd taken an interest in anyone besides Akko she could have broached the subject without worrying that she might upset her or cause offense. What if Akko–

            "Do you think they share a broom?"

            Diana's racing thoughts were brought to a crashing halt by a wall of confusion. "What?"

            Akko turned from looking at the chandeliers to finally meet Diana's gaze. "If two witches are married do they share a broom when they travel? Or do they each take one separately? I mean normal people always share a car when they're going to the same place, right? So I was wondering if it was the same with brooms."

            "I–" Diana had to clear her throat to allow herself a moment to gather her scattered thoughts. "I suppose it depends on the couple."

            "Right," Akko said, and spun on her heel to walk a little further into the room. "Too bad I can't dance." She dipped a curtsey, which looked a bit silly considering she was in trousers and a T-shirt. She held up her hands as if she had a dance partner and took a few steps backwards and forwards in a faltering approximation of a waltz.

            Diana wondered who Akko was pretending to dance with. Not Andrew she hoped. That would be too much to bear. She knew that, against all odds, the two of them had become friends. And she knew that he, too, had been stung by the cupid bee that night at the party.

            Diana's chest clenched. She turned back towards the door and waited until Akko was ready to leave. They poked their heads into the rooms, one after another. Akko's wonder helped a little to ease the ache in Diana's heart as she remembered her home in former days. It was a relief to leave those dusty rooms, and, along with them, the memory of her tiny self racing through hallways now covered with dust and sheets.

            Diana paused once they were back in the main wing. "I need to head to the chambers belowground to check on some things. Should I show you back to the workroom?"

            "No, that's okay," Akko said, still gawking around the house and bouncing with each step. "I'll come with you."

            There were a few ways to access the underground, but the simplest was a hidden door in the library. Akko oohed with delight as Diana pulled the hidden lever that cause one of the bookcases to slide away and reveal a stairway that spiralled down into the ground. A lamp rested in a niche in the wall and Diana paused to light it before making her way down the stairs.

            They hadn't made it more than five steps when Akko spoke. "Didn't you find this place spooky when you were little?"

            Diana shook her head. "I wasn't allowed into the lower chambers until I was much older. Everything I needed for my studies was in the main library in any case. I spent a great deal of time there."

            "Weren't you lonely?"

            Diana's steps faltered. "I did have friends. A few friends. But my studies took up a great deal of my time and I suppose I was accustomed to solitude." That earned a noncommittal hum from Akko and Diana felt the need to add, "Things are different at Luna Nova of course."

            Akko snorted. "But you still always try to do everything on your own. Why can't you just let me help you?"

            "Like you helped yourself to a nap earlier?"

            An irritated sort of groan from behind her told her that the remark had hit home. And while perhaps it wasn't entirely fair, it was entirely accurate. Diana still wasn't certain what Akko thought she could actually do in this situation– besides put herself at risk.

            Neither of them spoke again as they descended the spiralling stairway. The air grew cooler and distinctly damp as they reached the lower levels of the estate, which had once been used as a medical library and secret hospital. The rhythmic tap of dripping water was dimly audible, and every beat was a pinprick in her heart. It was even more difficult to be down here than it was to be in the south wing. A thorough cleaning was all it would take to restore the dusty rooms above, but here... the traditions of her ancestors and their vast knowledge of medicinal magic were irreparably lost.

            Drawing herself up, Diana did her best to ignore the sound of water from the drowned library. What she needed was here in the infirmary anyway. She strode to a bookcase with rows of intact texts and began scanning the spines. She spared Akko a sideways glance, but there was nothing for her to break here so she let her wander without remark.

            After a few minutes she located a handful of tomes that she hoped would offer possible insights. Loss of magic was rare. In most cases there was a specific cause, such as exposure to the Wagandea tree's toxins. She'd heard of rare illnesses that could cause it, but there was never such quick onset as what was being described in the current cases.

            Akko's voice sounded hollow in the stone walled room. "Diana? What's this?"

            Diana turned and found Akko pointing to the wall where an arch marked a former doorway, long since sealed with stone and mortar.

            "Centuries ago when the persecution of witches was common, the witches of this country built a network of tunnels along the Ley Lines. They were used for travel and communication and gave witches safe locations in which to use their magic." She took a breath and went on. "I told you this place was once used as a hospital and that it had to be kept secret because the Cavendish family treated anyone who needed help whether they were friends of enemies."

            "Right. So?"

            "We needed a way to get the patients here that wouldn't lead everyone to our home. When they built this place, they used the tunnels to transport patients from other locations and get them to the hospital." She pressed her hand to the wall. "But at a certain point, decades ago, it was decided it would be safer to seal the tunnels. They've fallen out use and are quite dangerous."

            "That's amazing." Akko's broad smile helped a little to ease the ache in Diana's heart as she spoke of her family's legacy. "Your ancestors were like ninja doctors."

            Diana giggled. "I wouldn't have put it quite like that." She retrieved the tomes she'd picked out. "We should head back up. I need to get back to work."

            Akko's nose wrinkled but her only protest was a drawn-out, " _All right_."

            When Diana returned to the workroom to complete the potion she'd been brewing, she found she was able to continue with a clearer head. She supposed, in a way, Akko's distraction had done her a favour. Though she was not about to admit it aloud.

 

#

 

            Diana tugged at her robe, pulling the soft fabric closer against her neck, and settled back against the plush couch cushions. In the mellow lamplight she contemplated the steam rising from the cup of herbal tea cooling on a side table. At this time of night the only sounds were the distant creaks and groans of the house, whispering its stories in the still hours.

            The spine of her book creaked as she opened it and began scanning the lines of dry, scholarly prose. The information was nothing new to her. Every expert confirm that the effects of a cupid bee's sting did not persist once the bee was neutralized.

            She'd not gotten more than a page in when she heard footsteps shuffling down the hall. A dishevelled and pajama-clad Akko padded into the room, blinking furiously against the lamplight. "Diana?" she croaked.

            "Akko. I apologise, did I wake you?"

            Something between a groan and a whimper was the only reply. She looked different. It took Diana a moment to realize it was because she'd never before seen Akko without her ponytail.

            Akko padded over and plopped herself down on the couch next to Diana, still squinting. She hugged her knees and rested her chin on them.

            "You should go back to bed," Diana said gently.

            "You first," Akko mumbled. She peered at Diana's book for a long moment. "Why are you reading about cupid bees in the middle of the night?"

            Diana flushed. "I couldn't sleep. And I thought rather than try to work on the current problem I'd focus on some schoolwork instead."

            Akko made a sound that might have been assent–or maybe just a wheeze–and hugged her knees more tightly. Her bare knees.

            Akko had once won an award in the LNN Times for "shortest skirt" in Luna Nova. As Hannah had once said, "If it were any shorter, it would be a belt." Diana couldn't help but notice that Akko's sleepwear was equally revealing: a minuscule pair of red shorts and a tiny white Tee. She was thankful Akko was so sleepy because Diana realized she was probably staring. But before she could tear her eyes away, her attention focussed on a stark white line on Akko's knee. With a will of its own it seemed, Diana's fingers reached out to trace that line. There were others too.

            Akko's eyes fluttered open. "Wha–Oh, my training scars."

            Diana looked up, eyes meeting Akko's. "Your what?"

            "The scars on my knees are from when I was a kid trying to fly. I've got more." She turned her foot and pointed to her instep. "That one's from when I fell out of a tree while practicing. And the one on my elbow is from falling off my roof."

            Horrified, Diana tried to prevent herself from imagining tiny Akko throwing herself off walls, trees, and hilltops with a household broom and not one drop of magic–and immediately saw the whole painful tableau play out before her mind's eye. "They're all from when you were little?"

            "Well not all." She bent her right arm and pointed to a blotchy spot on her forearm. "That's from when one of Sucy's potions spattered all over our room. And this," she said, lifting up her shirt to show off a zigzag on her ribs, "is from when I fell off my broom last month. Oh and there's this one from the time I accidentally broke one of Constance's robots and it sort of exploded."

            Diana's heart seemed to be trying to claw its way up her throat. "Don't you get someone to treat you when you have an accident?"

            "Lotte usually patches me up, but sometimes I get distracted and can't ask her right away, or she just misses a spot because there are so many and–"

            "Akko." Akko stopped and looked up. Diana caught her gaze and held it. "Please promise me that you'll be more careful. Magic can fix some things, like this," she said, once again brushing her fingers over the white line on Akko's knee. "But it can't fix everything."

            Akko's jaws opened in a face-splitting yawn. "I'll be careful," she said around the yawn.  Instead of covering her mouth, her hand came to rest over Diana's, still on her knee. And then she leaned her cheek against their piled hands and closed her eyes.

            "You should go back to bed," Diana whispered.

            "You first," Akko murmured again. And then, mumbling, " _Oyasumi_."

            Diana smiled. Perhaps she should add Japanese to her language repertoire. Surely it could be no worse than Lunar runes had been to decipher. For a few minutes she let her mind wander a path where she studied Akko's native tongue, where she travelled with her to see her homeland, to meet her family, to see her home, as Akko had seen hers.

            Akko shifted, leaning against Diana's side. Diana absently reached out with her free hand to stroke her hair.

            _This_ , she realized, this was what she wanted. Just to have Akko with her, just to spend time with her and, when she went to sleep, to know she would see her in the morning.

            Of course they did spend time together normally, but often it was with their friends or, if alone, the time was spent studying. And while Akko reliably invented distractions during study sessions, Diana was equally determined to remain focussed on the task. But time like this without tasks or agendas was not something she knew how to arrange. How did you ask someone to just spend time with you? For no specific reason. But just because you wanted to be close to them.

            And for a while she sat there, mulling over that idea and not reading, until her fingers began to fall asleep under the weight of Akko's cheek, and she decided that perhaps the rest of her should follow.


	4. Chapter 4

**Four**

 

            Diana looked up from the sprawling page of runes and glyphs when she found the text obscured by a large bird, roughly the shape of a bowling ball. The bird scowled at her with as much menace as a spherical avian could muster. "Akko–"

            "I'm not moving until you eat," the bird squawked.

            "I just had lunch."

            "That was four hours ago and you barely ate anything."

            Glancing to one side, Diana saw that a platter of sandwiches and a pot of tea were resting on the table. Akko must have snuck off to the kitchen and asked James for something to bring up. But the clock above the mantle confirmed Akko was right and it was indeed late afternoon.

            Diana turned back to the tome. Akko ruffled her feathers. "Not moving." She tilted her head so that she could see around Akko. But then with a _poof_ and a wisp of smoke the bird was replaced with Akko herself, sitting cross-legged right on Diana's book. Akko leaned forward until her nose was almost touching Diana's. "No. More. Reading."

            The look of determination in Akko's eyes was impossible to miss. Especially at a distance of a scant few centimetres. Diana could feel her face flushing.

            She hurriedly pushed back her chair and got to her feet. She cleared her throat. "Fine. If you insist." It wasn't until she'd poured herself a cup of tea and taken a sandwich that Akko finally got off the table and sat in the chair Diana had just vacated, thus blocking her from her book once again. Diana chewed and swallowed without taking note of the sandwich's interior.

            She'd been home now for four days and she had very little to show for it. Her aunt and cousin remained unable to cast even the most basic of spells and were dogged by exhaustion. They could eat and get dressed and perhaps sit up to read for a short while, but not much more than that. Lady Corlett's symptoms were identical. And just like Diana's family, Lady Corlett had been examined by both medical and magical doctors who'd been unable to discover the cause of their malaise and who'd been sworn to secrecy thereafter.

            "You're so lucky to have someone to make food for you all the time," Akko said just before cramming the last bite of her sandwich into her mouth. And then, with very little time left for chewing, "I wish I had my own cook at school. That would be so awesome."

            Akko had taken to interrupting Diana's research at intervals with offers of food or insisting that they stretch their legs. She must have had the staff's support though since she always came with meals made up from the kitchen or trays of tea and biscuits. In between, Akko was just as likely to be asleep with her head on the books as doing anything that resembled research.

            "–and tempura and _tonkatsu_ –oh and _yakitori_!"

            With a start, Diana realized she'd completely tuned out Akko. "What?"

            "Oh it's like... chicken skewers? You can get them at food stalls. They're _so_ good." Akko clasped her hands together and looked towards the ceiling as if revelling in the memory of a transcendent experience. Of course where Akko was concerned it was entirely possible that she considered food just that. "You definitely have to try it if you come visit someday."

            "Visit Japan?" Heat returned to Diana's face. She'd been thinking of that very notion not long ago. It was almost as if Akko had read her thoughts, and she hoped she wasn't so transparent in all matters.

            "It would be cool, don't you think? I mean I know you visited when you were little, and we don't have any historical witch stuff for you to check out, but..."

            "I'd like that," Diana said softly.

            Akko leaped out of her chair. "All right!"

            Diana sipped her tea and then cooly, "At present, however, we have other matters to attend to."

            Visibly deflating, Akko sank back into her chair and heaved a huge sigh. " _Fiiiiine_. I'll give you Maril's new list. But not until you finish eating!" And then she crossed her arms and gave Diana her most defiant stare, leaving her no choice but to make the effort of eating her sandwich.

            When Diana was done, Akko produced from her pocket a folded up paper with hastily scrawled notes. "Maril says Lucille Denman cancelled a trip to Paris at the last minute the week before last and no one's seen her since. Margaret Corry has been on sick leave for over a week now. And Elena Brydges missed a performance by her favourite cellist last weekend."

            Diana added the details to the list she'd been compiling. With these additions they had seven possible cases. But there appeared to be no correlation between the victims' activities or locations. They had not, for instance, all attended a soiree together in recent weeks. In fact the aged Corletts rarely left their home anymore so it was unlikely they'd had direct contact with any other the suspected cases. There had to be some connection, but she certainly hadn't spotted it thus far.

            Weariness weighed down on her like a sodden cloak and for a moment Diana was tempted to just put her head down on her book and nap just like Akko. "If it were something obvious surely the doctor or my aunt would have identified the cause. But traditionally most things that can lead to magical deficiency are magical toxins and there's simply no evidence for that."

            She sighed and stared down at her hands. In spite of all the spells she'd mastered, the languages she could decipher, the magical tomes and treatises she'd read, she still remained powerless in the face of a crisis. She knew magic had limitations; she'd known that since her mother had become ill, but magic was at the centre of this conundrum so surely magic must be the solution. That meant it was her understanding that was lacking.

            "But what if it isn't something traditional at all?"

            "Not traditional?" she repeated, looking up at Akko with a puzzled expression.

            "Yeah. I mean what if this isn't something that's in any of your books?"

            "Then... I wouldn't know how to proceed."

            Huffing, Akko crossed her arms over her chest and scowled. "Why do you even have to do it? You're still in school and everyone always treats you more like a teacher than a student."

            "Akko..."

            "And if your aunt and everyone else would stop acting all weird and just talk about what was going on instead of trying to hide it, then maybe the medical witches could actually figure out what was wrong."

            Shaking her head, Diana let out a long breath. "You don't understand, Akko. I know to you it seems obvious that everyone should discuss this matter openly, but you would be asking them to discuss something they find deeply shameful."

            Something shifted in Akko's expression. "You mean like how no one ever mentions that Professor Chariot can't fly anymore?"

            In that moment, Diana wanted very much to reach out to Akko. Akko would have in her place, but Akko also wouldn't have thought twice about it. "I... suspect everyone who knows would prefer to spare your feelings–yours, hers, and even Croix's."

            "I guess..." For a few moments Akko's gaze remained fixed on her hands as she wrung them. When she looked up, there was a faint smile on her lips again. "Everyone at Luna Nova is so great. Well..." She scrunched up her face. "Maybe not Professor Finnelan, but everyone else." Diana suppressed a smile. In spite of Akko's triumph with the Grand Triskellion, Professor Finnelan was still short-tempered with Akko's constant fumbling in class and lackadaisical study habits. "I missed everyone so much during break. I mean it was good to see my family and to get to eat real food again, not just potato-everything, but I just... feel like Luna Nova is my home now, you know?"

            "I felt the same." Smiling, Diana recalled the first day back, how happy everyone had been. Akko had been a teary mess as she'd violently embraced Lotte and Susy. She'd surprised Diana by giving her the same treatment the moment she'd spotted her.

            Diana heaved a sigh. "I should return to my research."

            "Oh wait, I almost forgot... Do you have a map?"

            Diana blinked hard. "A... map?" Had she heard that correctly? It was far was more likely Akko was saying something about a "nap".

            "Yeah. I though maybe we could take all the info Maril got and make one of those push-pin maps like they do on crime shows."

            Diana raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps you've noticed that I do not indulge in a great deal of television?"

            Akko rolled her eyes. "Like in a crime novel then. You mark the map and then see if you can spot any patterns."

            "I see," Diana said, nodding. "That actually... is not a bad idea."

            Akko's eyes twinkled with glee. " _What_? Say it again! Come on, Diana!"

            "Are you going to make me repeat myself every time I say something even faintly complimentary?"

            Akko only grinned before hopping off her chair in search of a map.

 

#

 

            It was still dark when Diana woke, a dream clinging to her thoughts like a fishing net that would pull her back down into the depths if she didn't break free. She threw off her covers, sat up, and turned on the light.

            The dream seemed to stick to her, like a greasy film on her skin.

            She'd been sitting by a sickbed. Her mother's. But then it had been her aunt instead. Her face had been deathly pale, her eyes sunken, her cheeks hollow. But then it had been Merrill. And then Akko.

            Diana shook herself and reached for her robe. Perhaps a bit of fresh air would help shake off the murky remains of the dream. She pulled back the curtains and was just reaching to open the window when something caught her eye outside. Something flickering. A lantern.

            Frowning, she turned out her bedroom light again and padded back to the window to peer into the darkness. After a minute she could make out a shape. Akko. Akko out on the lawn in the middle of the night waving her wand around. A faint flash and Diana could dimly see the grass changing into something else. Not snow, that was for sure.

            Well that certainly explained why Akko kept falling asleep on her piles of books. It was more than just her usual boredom. But what in the world was she practicing so hard for?

            For a minute Diana toyed the idea of going outside and asking her. But Akko had been secretive about it before. No... Akko would tell her when she was ready. In the meantime, she'd let her get a little more rest tomorrow.

            For a while Diana stayed there, standing at the window, watching her doggedly perform the same incantation over and over, and willing it to work for Akko. It was only when Akko finally came back in and trudged back to her room that Diana returned to bed. And this time her sleep was restful and free of unhappy dreams.

 

#

 

            The gentle tap on the open door was not enough to rouse Akko, who'd dozed off on her pile of books again. "Milady, you weren't expecting company, were you?"

            Glancing at Akko, Diana rose and headed into the hall to speak with Anna. "No, I wasn't. Is someone here?"

            Anna nodded. "Lord Andrew and another gentlemen."

            "Andrew is here?" Diana frowned. This was highly irregular. Andrew was not in the habit of simply dropping by.

            "He asked for you so someone must have told him you were home."

             Diana considered this for a minute but she supposed to best way to find out what was going on was to simply ask him. "Could you ask Lisa to serve tea in the parlour? I'll speak to them there."

            "Very well, milady."

            She waited a few minutes until she was certain her guests would be settled, and then headed down to the parlour. She found them each seated in one of the plush armchairs, a pot of tea on a low table in front of them.

            As always, Andrew was in a suit. It was difficult to recall seeing him in anything else. Even as a child on summer break he'd always been outfitted in pleated pants and pressed shirts. At least today there was no one to swoon over his chiselled jaw and brilliant green eyes. Except perhaps Akko if she woke up. It had been tiresome enough to listen to Hannah and Barbara's admiration; she wasn't sure she could stomach it from Akko who, from what Diana had observed, was not immune to Andrew's charms.

            His companion was a more ordinary looking young man. About the same age but shorter, with a rounder face and blunt nose. His dress shirt and pants were both wrinkled and he was jiggling his knee up and down as if he were about to take a final exam for a class he'd never attended.

            "Hello, Diana," Andrew said, standing to greet her. The other fellow sprang to his feet a beat later. "This is my classmate, Matthew Baker."

            Matthew held out his hand then quickly drew it back, wiped it on his pants, and held it out again. Diana shook it. "It's always a pleasure to meet one of Andrew's schoolmates."

            "Nice to meet you, Diana–or... Miss Cavendish?"

            "Diana is fine." She took a seat on the couch opposite them and, reaching for the teapot, offered them all tea, which Matthew accepted and Andrew declined.

            "You always make it difficult to track you down," Andrew said, his tone cool and perhaps just slightly irked. "I tried to get a message to your school and when I finally got through they'd told me you'd returned home two days earlier." He sighed in a manner that perfectly conveyed how tiresome he considered the whole affair. "Would it be so terrible for you to join the twenty-first century and carry a phone?"

            Diana took a long moment to sip her tea before replying. "We do have web access through other means, but technology of that sort is prohibited on school grounds. Our goal is to learn magic, not be distracted by constant access to social media as most students are these days."

            Andrew crossed his arms and shook his head. "Cutting yourselves off from the modern world doesn't serve anyone."

            With a sigh, Diana set down her tea cup. "Did you really come all this way just to debate the role of technology in Luna Nova?"

            "No, I suppose I didn't." Andrew's lips quirked. "It seems like we always rehash old debates except when a certain someone is around to distract us."

            This earned a chuckle from Diana. "Akko _is_ rather difficult to ignore even at the best of times."

            "Indeed she is."

            She set down her tea cup. "I'm sure you didn't track me down for a social visit. So what is it you wanted to discuss?"

            "Actually," Andrew said, glancing at his classmate, "it's Matthew who needs to speak with you."

            Matthew fumbled with his cup as he set it down on the saucer, nearly spilling the tea in the process. "I–Yes. I need–That is, I'd appreciate it if..."

            Andrew raised an eyebrow. "She doesn't bite. No matter what you might have heard."

            She bit back a reply, choosing instead to ignore Andrew and turn her attention to the nervous fellow with him. "Please go ahead. I know Andrew wouldn't have brought you here for anything trivial."

            A small smile appeared on Matthew's lips and he paused to take a deep breath before beginning again. "It's my mother. You don't know me of course, but you may know her. She's a witch. Mathilda Baker. She's the owner of Baker's Best."

            Diana nodded. "Yes, of course." Baker's Best was a popular supplier of magical goods and nearly every witch had ordered supplies from them at one time or another. But they were a younger witch family, a mercantile family, not one of the ancient families like hers. That difference meant that they had not travelled in the same social circles, so while she had heard of Mathilda Baker, she had never met her.

            "The thing is..." For a moment he sat there, wringing his hands, unable to meet her gaze. She sipped her tea and waited for him to gather his nerve. "My mother can't use magic right now." Diana froze mid-sip. "The doctors are saying it's just exhaustion from overwork but–" He broke off, his eyes fixed on something behind her.

            Diana turned to find Akko hovering in the doorway.

            "Akko?" Andrew's surprise was evident.

            "Hi, Andrew." The smile that appeared on Akko's face tugged at something inside of Diana. It was clear that she was happy to see Andrew. Was the way Akko smiled at him qualitatively different than the way she smiled at her? Was the degree of her happiness different? Could you ever measure such a thing?

            Diana took a deep breath and tried to reign in her writhing thoughts. This was not the time and place to let her emotions get tangled up in imagined sleights and jealousy.

            Andrews lips curled into a lopsided smile. "Did you invite yourself over to Diana's again?"

            A guilty look flashed over Akko's features. "Umm... sort of."

            "Come and sit down, Akko," Diana said, over her shoulder. Akko came and plopped herself down on the couch next to Diana. "Matthew Baker, may I please introduce Atsuko Kagari?"

            Matthew's face lit up with recognition. "Oh! You're the girl who was on the live vid with the missle last winter, aren't you?"

            Akko grinned and nodded. "That was me! No one wrangles missiles like me and Diana," she added, wrapping her hands around Diana's arm and tugging her close. It was enough to send the blood rushing into Diana's cheeks.

            Diana cleared her throat. "Matthew was just telling us about his mother. You said she can't use magic at the moment. Could you tell us more about what happened?"

            Matthew's sobered immediately. "It was three weeks ago. My father found her collapsed in one of the workrooms. When she came to she was very weak. She hasn't been able to cast a spell since." He looked down at his hands. "She insisted we shouldn't talk about it with anyone, that it would be an embarrassment to the whole family, but..."

            "You have my word," Diana said, her tone gentle, "I won't speak of this to anyone outside of this room."

            Matthew nodded. "Your family has a reputation for healing magic. That's why I asked Andrew if he could contact you."

            "You said she was found in a workrooms. This was at your home?" He nodded. "And what was she working on at the time?"

            "She was working on the Baker's Bees collection."

            Akko's face scrunched up. "Baker's Bees?"

            "They're one of our top product lines," Matthew said. "We're the world's leading supplier of enchanted bees."

            "Like cupid bees?" Akko asked.

            "Right. It's our most popular. Especially around Valentine's Day. We always sell them at the winter market in February but they're available by mail of course too."

            Akko was nodding along with this information. "So Sucy must have ordered her cupid bee from you. The one from the party," she added, glancing at Diana. Diana could see the flush creeping up Andrew's face as rapidly as she could feel it in her own. They each immediately dropped their gazes, determined not to look at Akko who was looking rapidly from one to the other. "Wha–Oh. Sorry, I didn't mean to–"

            Diana cleared her throat. "Let's just move on, shall we?" Matthew was looking at all of them with undisguised curiosity. "Matthew, please go on."

            "Right. Well... Let's see. She was working on the bee formula. It gets tweaked from time to time, you see. I know she hadn't touched it since last winter, but my father said she'd decided to rework the attunement or some such thing." He shrugged. "I'm afraid that's as much as I can tell you."

            "There's one thing I'd like to know," Andrew said, looking directly at Diana. "It's not like you to miss school. Did something happen?"

            She brought her cup to her lips to give herself a few extra seconds to decide how to phrase her reply. "I was asked to come home for much the same reasons as Matthew asked to speak with me."

            Matthew tilted his head. "You mean..."

            Diana nodded. "Your mother's case isn't the only one I've heard about. I've been looking into the matter."

            Matthew leaned forward, his expression hopeful. "Have you learned anything?"

            "Nothing substantial yet." He seemed to deflate, sinking back into his chair, his shoulders slumping. "But thank you for coming to see me. The more information we have, the more likely we'll be able to understand the cause."

            "Please let me know if you figure out anything."

            "Of course."

            Akko insisted on walking Andrew to the door and peppered him with questions about school and what people were saying about magic now. Diana let herself trail behind until she could watch them without eavesdropping. To see Akko beaming was not unusual, but Andrew's expression softened whenever he spoke to her, and that was something she was unaccustomed to.

            It was a relief when Andrew and Matthew finally left and she was free to return to her workroom with Akko in tow. Akko wasted no time in sitting down at her map and asking Diana to help her add the location for this new case. "When did he say this happened?"

            "Three weeks ago."

            Akko groaned. "Now I have to renumber everything. It's the earliest one."

            Diana paused. "You sorted the cases chronologically?"

            With a grin, Akko drew herself up, lifting her chin. "See? Crime shows are good for something!"

            For a few minutes, Diana studied the map and the numbers Akko had jotted down. Several of the numbers lined up. If she considered the Baker case as zero, then zero and one lined up. Five, two, and three seemed to meet on a horizontal line. If one examined the vertical, one, two, and four were aligned as well as zero, five, and her own home, cases six and seven. The Baker case was the furthest in time and the furthest north while her home was the last known case and the furthest south geographically.

            Diana's finger reached out to trace the alignment. It was familiar. "Lines," she murmured.

            Akko peered at her. "What?"

            Diana pushed up from the table and hurried to one of the bookcases. When she returned, she flipped through the book and opened it on the table to a double page map of all the local Ley Lines. She placed Akko's map beneath the book, and pointed from the book to map. "See here–and here." Each number on Akko's map was also located on a Ley Line. Every single one.

            Diana shook her head. "I should have seen this sooner. That's why some of the families affected are among the oldest witch families–they all built homes along the Ley Lines."

            "Matthew too?"

            "The Baker home originally belonged to another family. It was purchased by the Bakers some decades ago." She kept her tone neutral but it was unpleasant to think about it when it was exactly what would happen to the Cavendish estate if they weren't able to change the downward spiral of their family finances.

            "Do the other houses have secret passages too?"

            "You mean the tunnels?" Akko nodded. "There _is_ a network of them but I couldn't say offhand where the connection points are. Most of them have long since been sealed up in any case."

            When, some time later, Akko said something about going to the kitchen to get them something to eat Dianna only nodded vaguely without looking up from the script she was trying to translate. She didn't think on it again until Anna knocked on the door and asked if she was planning to have dinner.

            Diana frowned. "Didn't Akko request something from the kitchen?"

            "No, milady," Anna said, shaking her head. "She's not been down there. That's why I came up to ask. She's been so good about making sure you get your meals, but I thought perhaps she'd fallen asleep again."

            Unease shivered down Diana's spine like cold water. "No, she's not here." She glanced at the time only to realize that Akko had been gone for well over an hour.

            Akko's map remained spread out on the table with the Ley Lines now superimposed on it. The notes on the list of cases lay nearby. Akko has scrawled something in the blank space at the bottom of the page: "Bees".

            And Diana knew immediately where Akko had gone.

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Five**

 

            Diana only stopped to retrieve her broom, and then she was racing through the passages of her home, down the winding stairwell that would lead her to the underground rooms. With every step, her mind reviewed the facts: Ley Lines, tunnels, bees, Akko's recklessness. She wanted so badly to be wrong. As she raced, her heart thrummed against her ribs liked it wanted to flee her body, like it was afraid it would break in two.

            By the time she reached the waterlogged library, she was panting for breath. "Akko?" she called, but her own rebounding voice was the only reply she received.

            For a few seconds, Diana paused to catch her breath and reconsider the matter. Perhaps Akko was not down here at all. She could be somewhere else in the house or on the grounds. But no... there would have been no need for subterfuge then. Akko was prone to recklessness, always rushing into things without thinking it through; that could not be denied. What troubled Diana most of all was that Akko might well have undertaken something dangerous and not asked for her aid. When she was right there next to her. When Diana knew she would have done anything to help Akko, to keep her safe.

            Diana swallowed down a swell of emotion that tightened her chest and throat. She let out a breath and marched to the sealed-off entrance to the tunnels.

            There was no sign of disturbance. But as she looked more closely, it was clear that the steady drip of water down this wall was taking its toll on the masonry. Gaps in the mortar were visible near the top of the stonework that blocked off the tunnel entrance. The gaps were only a few centimetres across, but that was enough for something small to creep through. Like a small, brown mouse.

            Heart pounding harder than ever, Diana raised her wand and pointed it at the wall.

            " _Belga Veeda_!"

            A beam of emerald energy shot from the tip of her wand. The wall blew apart, stone shattering into gravel and littering the tunnel floor. Ignoring the cloud of dust, Diana mounted her broom. She paused only to affix her lantern to the front of the broom and then she plunged into the tunnel's murky darkness.

            She leaned low along the broom, urging it to fly faster. The rush of air against her face was so strong, it could almost have been an invisible hand trying to force her back. But nothing and no one would keep her from Akko.

            The interminable darkness soon robbed Diana of any sense of time and distance. How far could Akko have gone? She'd not come with a broom. Most likely she'd used transformation magic to change herself into something that could fly or run fast. How far could she have gotten with an hour's head start? If Akko were injured would she be able to spot her in the darkness? Could she have already passed Akko's prone form somewhere in the length of dark tunnel?

            The image of Akko shivering on the cold stone in the darkness sent a chill wave down Diana's spine. She set her jaw and pressed into the wind.

            When she first noticed an indistinct blur in the darkness ahead she blinked hard, unsure of whether it was just a shadow, a trick of the rocking light as her lamp dangled at the end of her broom. When she looked again, the blur had materialized into a distinct shape, largish and growing closer. Its colour was lighter than the surrounding dark. She blinked and it was even closer now. An animal, four-legged and fast. A cheetah.

            A pink cheetah with orange spots.

            "Akko!" She slowed and then stopped. The cheetah hurtled towards her and came to a skidding halt.

            A _pop_ and then Akko was standing next to Diana's broom waving her hands frantically. "Go! Go! Go!"

            The overwhelming relief washing through Diana's entire body was quickly replaced by confusion. "What?"

            "Bees!"

            As soon as the word was out of Akko's mouth, a low buzzing filled the tunnel, growing louder by the second. Diana did not wait for further explanation. She reached out a hand to Akko and pulled her onto the broom. "Hold on!" She swivelled 180 degrees and set the broom rocketing back the way she'd come as Akko's arms tightened around her waist.

            Diana's mind was racing almost as quickly as the broom. She did not want to lead their pursuers–whatever they were– back towards her home. The tunnels connected different Ley Lines so there had to be a junction that would lead to another line and a path to another Ley Line Terminal.

            She scanned the walls on either side. Was the buzzing still behind them? She couldn't tell; the air parting around her tore all sound away from her ears.

            Something caught at the edge of her vision. She pulled up on the broom coming to a halt so quickly that Akko yelped and squeezed the breath out of her in an effort to hold on. "Diana! What are–" She spun the broom around again and backtracked several metres until she spotted what had drawn her attention. A junction passage, as dark as the current one but headed north. Without pausing to answer Akko's flurry of questions she set off down the new passage.

            She'd completely lost track of how much distance they'd covered when the green glow of a Terminal sprang to life ahead of them. Diana didn't think she'd ever been so relieved feel the tug of Ley Line Terminal.

            A few seconds' flight along the Ley Line and then the other end of the Terminal sprang to life in the crumbling window of a tumbledown manor house. They came out into the open, soaring over a grassy field under the starry sky. A fresh breeze, scented by leaves and grass, replaced the stuffy tunnel air, and the starlight seemed brilliant after the gloom.

            Diana slowed and came to a halt, stepping off her broom and waiting for Akko to dismount. A huge smile appeared on Akko's face, but before she had a chance to get a single word out, Diana cut in with, "What were you thinking? Going down there alone? Akko–"

            "I just wanted to see if there was anything in the tunnels." She had that defiant look in her eyes, arms crossed, chin raised.

            Hands on her hips, Diana met that air of defiance with her sternest frown. Akko was not going slither out of his one. "How could you be so reckless? What if something had happened to you? And no one would've known where you were."

            "I was just going to take a look and come back. No biggie."

            "Why didn't you ask me to come?"

            Akko frowned. "I didn't want to bother you if it was nothing."

            "But it wasn't nothing!" Diana tried to take a breath to steady herself. Why was it always so hard to reign in her emotions where Akko was concerned? "And helping you would not be a bother."

            Akko stepped in closer and stared up at her with a furious scowl. "But no one ever helps _you_!"

            "What–"

            "You're always taking care of everyone, Diana. That time before the Samhain festival last year when I got turned into you for a little while... everyone kept asking me for advice or to fix things for them, or..."

            "I was in charge of the festival," Diana said, shaking her head. "It was normal for people to make requests of me."

            Akko crossed her arms. "But it's like that _all the time_. Everyone is always asking for your help. The students, the teachers, your family." She looked down. "And I do it too."

            Diana's anger had begun to ebb away. She reached out to place a hand on Akko's shoulder. "I'm glad they do. It's not–or I should say–it's rarely a burden, though I must admit my family's demands can sometimes be difficult. But I want to be of help to people. More than anything."

            Akko's eyes were watery when she looked up. "But what about _you_? You're so busy taking care of everyone, but no one takes care of _you_." Akko lunged forward, wrapping her arms around Diana and squeezing as tightly as she had during the broom ride.

            Diana was speechless. The past few days played through her mind like a reel of film–how Akko had insisted on getting a tour, how she'd found excuses to take her away from her research, how she'd refused to go to bed while she was still up, how she fetched food and forced her to stop and eat it. Akko had been trying to take care of her.

            Slowly, she let her arms wind around Akko and squeeze her back. She pressed her face into Akko's hair, resisting the urge to brush a kiss over her temple. "What if we take care of each other then? We work better as a team, don't you think? And–" Her voice trembled and she had to pause to steady herself. "And I couldn't bear it if something happened to you."

            Nestled into her shoulder as she was, Akko's reply was muffled. "Deal." Akko gave her a final squeeze and drew back, swiping at her eyes. "So what now?"

            Diana took a moment to scan their surroundings. The field in which they stood was bordered by a paved road and a short ways ahead she could see the lights of a large house. She wondered if it, too, had belowground entrances to the tunnels. It seemed likely. It would confirm Akko's half-articulated theory regarding tunnels and bees.

            "First," Diana began slowly, "I need you to tell me what happened down there. What did you see?"

            "Bees. A whole lot of really freaky bees."

            Squeezing her eyes shut for a moment, Diana called on her remaining reserves of patience. "I'm afraid I need a bit more detail than that."

            Akko rolled her eyes. "So I went down into the library and I turned myself into a mouse to get through the cracks and get to the tunnels. After that I changed into a fox so I could run fast and see where I was going. And after a while I started to hear buzzing. I changed back so I could use my wand to get some extra light and then I saw the freaky bees."

            "Define 'freaky'."

            Akko scrunched up her face. "Well... They weren't like... normal bees that fly around and make honey. And they didn't look like the cupid bee either. They had purple and black spots. And as soon as I saw them they flew right for me. So I transformed into a cheetah and started running back the way I came."

            Diana took in this information, trying to call up everything she'd learned about bees in her recent research on the cupid bee.

            "Having bees in those old tunnels isn't normal, right?" Akko said. "They've got be what's causing everyone to lose their magic."

            "I've never heard of a kind of bee that absorbs magic."

            Akko jutted her chin out. "So what? Maybe when Matthew's mother was working on their bees something went wrong or–"

            " _Or_ ," Diana cut in, "there was _already_ something wrong with the bees when she took them out to work on them."

            Tilting her head, Akko peered at Diana. "Like what?"

            "He said that they always sell the bees at the winter market before Valentine's Day. The same time as Croix was experimenting with her cubes. What if the cubes came in to contact with the bees?"

            Akko's brow furrowed. "Wouldn't it just have turned them into monsters like everything else?"

            "Not necessarily," Diana replied with a shake of her head. "The cupid bee isn't a real bee. It's what they call volitional magic. The bee is just an empty vessel for the spell. On their own they don't do anything–they're a blank slate. But once you cast a spell on them–a love spell or a poison spell, or so on–they'll cause the desired effect of that spell."

            " _Okay_ ," Akko said hesitantly.

            "Croix's cubes were programmed to absorb human emotions and convert them into magic. If they merged with some of the bees it's possible that intent was translated simply as absorbing magic."

            Akko was nodding now, looking pleased. "So once they got loose at Matthew's place they got into the tunnels and started buzzing around and popping up in people's basements and sucking up all their magic."

            "Essentially."

            "So what can we do?"

            For a minute Diana didn't answer. The autumn air was cool on her face, and without a jacket or cloak, the chill was beginning to seep in. The wisest course of action would probably be to report what they'd seen–perhaps to the headmistress who would have an idea of who to contact to get the situation cleaned up. But that would require a great deal of explanation and cause a great deal of embarrassment to many prominent families. And it would take time. More time for the bees to spread and steal the magic from more witches.

            Finally, Diana gave a nod, decided. "If the bees have been multiplying, then there's likely a queen. We can locate the central hive and use the nullification spell to neutralize it."

            The huge smile on Akko's face gave Diana an answer even before Akko spoke. "Let's do it!"

            And with that agreed on, they mounted Diana's broom and flew straight back into the Ley Line Terminal.


	6. Chapter 6

**Six**

 

            The tunnels closest to the Baker estate were where they were most likely to find the queen bee. Knowing this, Diana was able to navigate via the Ley Line Terminals and tunnels efficiently. Delving into the tunnels the second time was easier than the first. This time Diana knew where she was going, she had some idea what they were up against, and she had Akko, pressed close against her on the broom, the warmth of her body wrapping itself around Diana like a blanket.

            A few times they heard–or thought they heard–a low buzzing from a branching corridor, but Diana did not slow down. They had to find the source. The darkness threatened to swallow them up in spite of the light from Diana's lamp but it was nothing to her now. Together, they could do anything; she felt it in the very marrow of her bones.

            She only slowed down when she was certain they were close to sections of tunnel that would lead to the Baker estate. Something blocked the tunnel ahead, rubble, or perhaps a door. A very distinct buzzing vibrated through the chill air. It was the sound of more than just a _few_ bees, "freaky" or otherwise.

            Diana dismounted from her broom. She paused and, placing a finger to her lips, turned to Akko. Akko nodded. Diana drew her wand and put out the lamp.

            With slow, soft steps, Diana crept ahead. The green glow from the tip of her wand was the only illumination, but it was enough to see what lay ahead: a pair of wooden doors, one intact, the other partially rotted and hanging off its hinges. Not even daring to breathe, Diana drew herself up against the remaining door and peered through the gap.

            A huge circular chamber stretched out beyond the doors. Its vaulted ceiling arched high above, supported by two crystalline pillars that captured light from above and carried it down to the chamber, amplifying and scattering it around the room. In the daytime the chamber must have been cast in gold from the sunlight, but now the moonlight turned it to a silvery blue as if encased in a sheet of ice. Moisture dripped down the columns. Moss clustered around the base of the pillars and carpeted the chamber floor.

            Diana had only moments to take this in before all her attention turned to the creature in the centre of the room. Saying it was a bee would be much like saying the creature Akko and Constanze had taken on during the Wild Hunt had been a bird. In a sense it would be true, but it would also fail to capture the sheer difference in magnitude.

            Flitting around the centre of the room on a pair of thick, membranous wings, the bee was as tall as an elephant. Purple blotches dotted its shiny black thorax and twitching, segmented legs. A purple glow pulsed from its huge, compound eyes. The high ceiling and stone walls amplified its buzzing into a deep, resonating roar that trembled through Diana's bones. It appeared that all the magic the queen had absorbed had significantly increased its proportions.

            "Oh wow!"

            Diana spun around and glared at Akko, who instantly slapped her hand over her mouth and looked contrite

            Smaller, properly bee-sized, bees swarmed around the immense queen. Their colouring was similar to hers, onyx marked by blotchy purple.

            When she spoke, Diana kept her voice low. "We need to get rid of the smaller bees or we won't be able to neutralize the queen before being stung ourselves."

            Akko considered this for a moment. All at once her expression lit up. "I've got an idea. I need you to get on your broom and call up some wind. A really strong gust to push them down to the floor."

            "The floor? What–"

            "Can you do it?"

            "Yes, but–"

            Akko nodded. "Okay. I'll distract them until you're in position."

            Diana tried to catch her wrist, but with a _poof_ , a pudgy bird flapped in the air instead of Akko. Akko's wings flapped furiously and she swooped into the chamber, squawking like an irate blue jay. Diana rushed to grab her broom, at once vexed and distressed by Akko's hastiness.

            Akko's birdcalls had instantly attracted the attention of the bees. She swooped around the room, performing wild aerobatic maneuvers to avoid them. So intent were they on the invading avian that they took no notice as Diana zoomed through the door on her broom and took up position high above, near the chamber ceiling. She let out of flash from her wand to signal Akko.

            Akko wasted no time. She swerved hard to throw off the swarm then went into a nosedive, sending Diana's heart leaping into her throat. "Akko!" At the last second Akko pulled up and quickly transformed back to herself. She scrabbled for her wand and then pointed it towards the mossy chamber floor.            

            " _Planntrais Deance_!"

            A flash and the moss was changed into a dark oozing substance that pooled over the floor. The bees were regrouping to converge on Akko. She looked up and yelled, "Now!"

            Diana summoned the fiercest wind she could summon, blasting the bees downward with unrelenting force until the beating of their wings could no longer hold them aloft. The gale shoved them down into the tarry mess on the floor, trapping them. The queen bee's buzzing changed in pitch and her great mottled wings flapped against the wind, rising higher.

            Akko had thrown up her arms to protect herself but the wind finally shoved her off balance, sending her stumbling backwards. Her foot stepped in the ooze and she slipped. As the queen bee managed to flap past the gusting spell, Diana lost her view of Akko.

            "Akko!" But the angry buzzing drowned out Diana's voice. She couldn't take on queen by herself. It took two to perform the nullification spell. She needed Akko.

            Taking a page from Akko's book, Diana swerved hard on her broom, banking on the queen being less maneuverable, and then dove steeply, scanning the floor for Akko.

            Halfway through her dive, she spotted Akko, spattered with the tarry substance, clutching one of the pillars to steady herself as she got to her feet. She waved as she saw Diana. Diana levelled out and pulled up the broom in a hard stop. The queen would be on them in a matter of seconds.

            Her eyes scanned Akko up and down. "Are you hurt?"

            Akko shook her head vigorously. "No, just gooey."

            Diana allowed herself a moment of relief. "Thank goodness. The nullification spell?"

            "Ready!" Akko announced, her eyes bright with determination. As the queen bee flapped down towards them, mandibles snapping angrily, Akko looked at Diana and held out her wand. There was not a shred of doubt in Akko's eyes.

            The nullification spell was a complicated type of fusion magic. When two witches synchronized their power, the resulting output was greatly magnified. It was a spell that should have been well beyond Akko's abilities, but she had cast it once before with Lotte and Sucy. Because it was one of those times when a believing heart mattered more than magical mastery. And looking at Akko, Diana believed in Akko's heart beyond all doubt.

            Diana thrust out her wand, crossing it over Akko's. " _Ein Ein Sof!_ " Diana chanted, a trail yellow light blazing from the tip of her wand.

            " _Ein Sof Ohr_!" Akko continued, red sparking from her wand. Energy blazed from both their wands as they raised them.

            As one they shouted the incantation. " _Luna Lana!_ "

            The bee bore down on them, scythe-like front limbs swinging towards them. But the moment the words were out of their mouths, twin streams of magical energy shot out at the queen bee, encircling it, winding around its wriggling limbs like gold and red ropes. The magical lassos tightened around the queen, pulling its wings in against its body.

            Shoulder to shoulder, Diana and Akko stood unflinching as magical energy poured out of their wands. In that moment, the fiery pulse of Akko's magic was as tangible to Diana as Akko herself was, brilliant and blazing and believing.

            The gold and red streams of magic wound together into an unbreakable rope, squeezing tighter and tighter around the queen. The bee seemed to compress and deflate, like a giant balloon whose air was being squeezed out. It writhed and twisted, but the magical ropes surged around it one final time and, with a crackling hiss, the bee dissolved.

            But the magic it had gathered up did not. It exploded outward from the bee in a magical backlash that crashed into Akko and Diana and flung them backwards, knocking them off their feet.

            With a groan, Diana pulled herself up off the floor. Now that the buzzing had stopped the chamber seemed eerily silent. "Akko?" No reply. Diana looked around. Her eyes fixed on a crumpled shape a few feet away. Something dark stained her clothes.

            For a second Diana froze, unable to breathe. She shook herself and scrambled over to Akko even as her heart was fighting to beat its way clear out of her chest. Reaching out, she touched the dark spot in the middle of Akko's shirt, feeling something wet and warm. Her hand came away sticky.

            "Akko!" Diana's voice trembled. Her composure had left her. There was nothing but the searing chill of panic rattling through her bones.

            Akko's eyes fluttered open. She groaned and moved to sit up but Diana pressed her back down. "Don't move, you're hurt."

            "I'm fine," Akko said. "Really."

            "No, you're wounded." She felt around for her wand. She needed more light. She needed to be able to see the wound so she could determine if it was something she could mend herself or if they needed to get Akko to a professional.

            "What? Where? I feel fine." She glanced down to where Diana's right hand remained hovering over the sticky spot on her chest. "Oh that, that's–"

            "Just lie still until I can examine the wound."

            Akko rolled her eyes. With a huff, she grabbed Diana's hand and shoved it under her shirt in the spot where the wound was. Where it _ought_ to have been. Instead, Diana found her palm pressed again warm, smooth, skin. There was no blood, no wound. Beneath her palm, she could feel the steady thump of Akko's heart.

            And once again Diana couldn't breathe.

            Akko's face was turning a furious shade of red, noticeable even in the silvery light from the columns. "See? I'm fine."

            Feeling her own face burning, Diana swiftly withdrew her hand. "I apologise. I–" She cleared her throat. "I saw the stain on your shirt and jumped to the conclusion that it was blood."

            "It's from when I got knocked down earlier. Gooey, remember?"

            Diana took a deep breath and tried to steady herself. "Of course. I'm afraid I overreacted." And then, frowning, she peered down at the sticky, wet goo on her fingertips. "What precisely is it?"

            Akko had gotten into a sitting position and peered down at her shirt. "I was trying to turn all the moss into tar but it didn't quite work." She pressed a finger against the wet spot on her shirt and then brought her finger to her lips. Diana grimaced. "Thought so," Akko said without even noticing Diana's expression. Akko shrugged. "It's molasses."

            It was perhaps the sheer ridiculousness of that answer that did it, but Diana's her entire body sagged with relief. She let out a slightly shrill laugh. "Molasses?"

            "Want some?" Akko said with a cheeky grin as she poked the gooey splotch on her shirt again.

            Diana grimaced again. "No thank you."

            "Sorry for getting us into such a _sticky_ situation. It was _sweet_ of you to worry though."

            Diana raised an eyebrow. "Are you making light of this situation?"

            "Well it is a little funny, isn't it? And we did beat that bee so everyone should be okay again, right?"

            Diana nodded thoughtfully. "Hopefully yes, everyone's magic will have been restored." She got to her feet and brushed herself off as best she could. "We should go home and verify that that's the case." And then she held out a hand. Akko grasped it and pulled herself up, but Diana didn't let go. Instead, she gave those slender fingers a squeeze. "I... I could not have done this without you."

            Akko cupped her free hand around her ear. "What was that? Say it again. I couldn't hear you."

            "Seriously?"

            Akko pouted. "One more time. _Pleasssse_? For me?"

            With a huff, Diana took a step towards the chamber door. "Let's go," she said. But she didn't let go of Akko's hand. And, when she thought about it later, she realized, neither did Akko.


	7. Chapter 7

**Seven**

 

            "Can you pass the butter?"

            Diana did, and then winced as Akko proceeded to use her table knife instead of the butter knife, and managed to leave a trail of breadcrumbs on the slab of butter. Seated at the head of the table, Aunt Daryl watched with obvious contempt. In all likelihood, she was adding this to a mental list of Akko's mealtime missteps. These included forgetting to unfold her napkin, spilling gravy, and eating her entire dinner with her salad fork.

            Diana was grateful that her aunt and cousin had recovered enough to be up and about less than a full day after she and Akko had dispatched the bees. It meant they could return to Luna Nova tomorrow. However, she would have been even more grateful if they'd not been quite well enough for a sit-down dinner.

            "You should have heard it, Merrill!" Maril's voice was pitched high with glee. "I spent an hour talking to him just to find out about his sister Lucille. What a bore he is! But I finally managed to bring him around to talking about her trip and how she'd had to cancel it. I felt like I was a spy!" She preened like a peacock, but Diana said nothing because, after all, her help had been invaluable. "And then Atsuko used it to make a map–"

            "Just 'Akko'," Akko said around a mouthful of buttered roll.

            "–and they used the map to figure out where the problem started."

            Merrill pouted. "And _I_ was stuck in bed the whole time. Why did I have to get stung by the stupid bee?"

            "I _have_ been wondering about that," Diana said, setting down her utensils and looking in her aunt's direction. "Have either of you been to the house's lower levels recently?"

            "Not me," Merrill and Maril said at once.

            Aunt Daryl said nothing.

            Diana could feel a white-hot ball of fury seething up from inside her. Beneath the table, her hands were balled into fists but when she spoke, her features were schooled and her tone was icy. "Were you looking for more heirlooms to pawn off now that there's renewed interest in magic?"

            For a moment, her aunt peered at her with a raised eyebrow, but her imperiousness was lessened by the bags that still lingered under her eyes. "I was down there, I admit. So I suppose that was when the bee got loose in the house. But as it happens, I was there to inspect some of the materials in the library and see if any of the intact materials would be worth making public. There is indeed renewed interest in magic thanks to your heroics last year. It's our duty to capitalize on that interest in any way we can."

            Diana sniffed. "Please try to restrain the urge to sell off anything irreplaceable."

            Akko's fork clattered against her plate. "Why don't you digitize your library? Constanze could probably set up some sort of special scanner and..." She trailed off when she was met by blank stares.

            After a moment's silence, Aunt Daryl turned her most chilling look on Akko. "We can manage our affairs ourselves. We certainly don't need the help of a incompetent novice from a family without even the faintest shred of magical knowledge."

            "Hey–" Akko began just as Diana's chair scraped against the floor as she leaped to her feet.

            "Allow me to make one thing abundantly clear..." Diana glowered at her aunt with barely restrained fury. "Without Akko's _help_ , your magical energy would, at this very moment, remain trapped in a giant bee-shaped vessel underground, and you would still be in bed, as weak as a newborn." Without waiting for a reply, she turned to Akko. "Would you do me the honour of joining me for a walk around the grounds?"

            Akko appeared puzzled and she looked from Diana to her dinner plate and back. "Oh. Uh... Okay." And then she, too, rose and followed Diana out of the dining room.

 

#

 

            "I'm sorry about my aunt." Dusk was settling over the estate, and the house cast a long shadow over the manicured lawns. Diana did not look at Akko.

            "I think I liked it better when she was too tired to talk."

            A faint smile curled Diana's lips. "Her indisposition did have certain advantages."

            "Are you sure we couldn't have just left her that way? She's such a snob."

            Diana sighed. "It wouldn't be fair to the others who were affected. I had a message from Lord Corlett this afternoon. It seems his wife is much improved."

            "That's good."

            Diana paused for a moment to look out over the moat, squinting against the spears of sunlight reflected off its surface. "I wrote to the Bakers as well to explain my theory to them. They'll need to check their stock to ensure none of their others bees were infected by Croix's cubes. That should put an end to the matter once and for all."

            "So we can go back to Luna Nova!" Akko was bouncing as she said it, her eyes gleaming with excitement. And, in spite of her better judgment, Diana found she was grateful to have had this week with Akko.

            "You'll have quite a bit of schoolwork to catch up on," Diana said, earning a harrumph from Akko. "And likely detention for having snuck out of school in the first place."

            Akko put her foot down–quite literally–at this remark. She stood in Diana's path and stared up at her defiantly. "Next time don't leave me behind and I won't have to sneak at all. You said we were going to take care of each other, right?"

            A flush crept up into Diana's cheeks as she recalled her words from last night, and when she thought about Akko's warmth as she'd clung to her. "Yes, I suppose I did say that."

            Akko gave a resolute nod. "Good. I'm not gonna let you forget it." She seemed to waver then, dropping her gaze and wringing her hands, and the swift change from defiance to uncertainty confused Diana. "And..." Akko licked her lips. "And I want to show you the spell I've been practicing. Even if it's not perfect yet."

            Diana's lips quirked. "The molasses spell?"

            Akko drew herself up and jutted out her chin. "No molasses this time." She drew her wand and held it out. Taking a deep breath, she gave the lawn her best glower. " _Planntrais Deance_!"

            A crackle of magic. A flash. And then they were standing in a vast field of red...  Daisies? Diana crouched to inspect one of the flowers, with its yellow centre and small, oval petals.

            Akko slumped and groaned. "They're supposed to roses."

            Standing, Diana put on an encouraging smile. "It's as I said before. The spell is losing focus as you try to apply it to a larger area."

            "I can do it with something smaller." Akko plucked up one of the flowers and waved her wand again. " _Planntrais Deance_!" The single daisy was replaced by a bouquet of lush, crimson roses. Akko held the bouquet out to Diana. "See?"

            Diana stared at the roses. Their long stems were without thorns. Layers of velvety petals enfolded the cental bloom, all the same deep red. Glistening dewdrops rested on the petals like crystal beads. "They're beautiful."

            "Here," Akko said, shoving the bouquet at Diana until she took it. "They're for you." Arms spread wide open, Akko spun in place, her smile as bright as the last rays of sunlight. "They're all for you."

            Blinking down at the roses, Diana tried desperately to clear her head. "I– I'm not sure I understand."

            And then without saying a word, Akko produced a note from her pocket and held it out to Diana. In the foundering daylight, Diana could just make out the scrawled lines.

 

_Roses are red_

_These daisies are too_

_I made them to show_

_How much I love you_

 

            Akko drew in a deep breath and squared her shoulders. "I know you're probably going to marry someone like Andrew–"

            "Andrew?" Diana repeated, sounding appalled.

            "Okay fine, not Andrew," Akko went on with a shrug, "but someone like him–someone rich and important and smart. But I just wanted to tell you anyway, because it's better to regret something you did do than something you didn't do."

            "Akko." It was barely more than a whisper.

            Diana was too breathless to speak, too surprised to string together a sentence. In contrast, Akko's speech had become a rapid-fire torrent of words as she looked down and fidgeted with her wand. "I know you've been reading about the cupid bee and you probably wanted to make sure there weren't any permanent effects–you know because of when it stung you and you saw me and–well anyway–"

            "Akko." This time Diana spoke her name with enough force to stop the rambling tide. Akko looked up at her. Diana smiled. She smiled like she had the first day she'd stepped onto Luna Nova's grounds, feeling deep in her bones that she'd arrived where she was meant to be. "Akko," she said again, her tone gentle. "It's true that I was reading about the cupid bee to verify that there were no aftereffects." She took a deep breath. "Because I wanted to be certain that my feelings were my own." She glanced down at the roses. The beads of dew had become flecks of silver in the dusky light. "To repeat when I did that time–at the soiree–and not mean it–again–would be cruel."

            When Diana looked up, Akko was scratching her head. "Wait, I'm confused. Are you saying you have feelings or that you don't have feelings?"

            "The former."

            "Former," Akko repeated, brow crinkled. "That means the first one. So you... do?" she said hopefully.

            Diana sighed, rubbing her temple with her free hand. "Let me put it simply. The truth is... I love you."

            Diana had only a second to see the face-splitting grin on Akko's face before she crushed Diana in a bear hug. She pulled back after a few seconds. "Oh wait, should I be checking you for bee stings just to be sure?" She pushed back Diana's hair and peered at her neck first on one side, and then the other as Diana protested.

            "I'm quite myself, I assure you."

            Akko was still grinning. "Oh good. So I can do this..." And she tilted her head up and kissed her.

            For a second Diana froze, her heart thrumming, her eyes open and staring. The touch of those soft lips left her undone. Then she let her eyes slide closed and basked in Akko's warmth.

            When they parted, Diana felt very flushed, but Akko was still smiling broadly like she had the first time she'd managed to fly. One of Diana's hands was clutching the roses; the other was quickly snatched up by Akko who intertwined their fingers. "I'm so happy, Diana! I was expecting to get some sort of super polite rejection speech. 'Akko, I'm very flattered but...' blah, blah, blah."

            Diana laughed. "And I was afraid that perhaps you fancied Andrew."

            Akko's face took on a deeper tinge of pink. "Sucy and Lotte used to tease me about him a lot. And he is really handsome but..." Her fingers tightened around Diana's. "Over break I just kept thinking about... you." Those words made Diana's stomach flutter and sent a wave of giddy joy through her from top to toes. "When we're together I feel like we can do anything." Akko's nose wrinkled. "Well except for making a field of roses, I guess."

            "You'll succeed eventually. Just keep practicing." Diana squeezed her hand.

            "Yeah, I know... Maybe I should've taken Professor Chariot's advice and tried a different spell, though."

            "Professor... Chariot?" Diana sputtered. "You told her _why_ you wanted to use the spell?"

            Akko nodded. "Of course. Lotte suggested I just have some spirits gather flowers for me but that didn't really work either. And Sucy suggested mushrooms." Akko grimaced.

            If Diana had felt flushed before, that was nothing compared to the rush of blood that was turning her face as red as any roses all the way up to her ears. Lotte and Sucy were probably a given, but Chariot too?

            "Amanda just said I was crazy because you're way too good for me–which is true, but see? I had a shot anyway!"

            "Akko–"

            "Jasminka thought I should use chocolate instead of flowers, and Constanze–

            "Akko!" Akko paused and finally noticed Diana's distress.

            "Did you tell everyone at Luna Nova before me?"

            Akko's brow furrowed. "Well not _everyone_. Hannah and Barbara would've just gone and told you and that would've ruined the surprise. And–"

            Diana let out a slow breath. "Never mind." All this time she'd been uncertain of Akko's feelings while half the school had known.

            "Are you... gonna freak out if I hold your hand at school?" Akko looked worried. Diana squeezed her hand to reassure her.

            "Of course not. In fact, I would like that very much."

            And that must have been the correct answer because as they began to walk back towards the house, Akko cuddled close to her, her hair tickling the side of Diana's face. Akko's warmth, the scent of her shampoo, the smile on her face–Diana took it in, grateful for it all. Grateful for Akko's company. She was accustomed to being responsible for others, to looking out for and taking care of others. The notion of having someone do the same for her would require adjusting to. But as Akko clung to her, smiling happily, and leaned close to whisper something in Japanese, it was an adjustment Diana was looking forward to.

 

**The End**


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